Board of Supervisors approve $10.3 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027

Board of Supervisors approve $10.3 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 ymachado June 9, 2026 Today, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved the $10.3 billion recommended budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The budget reflects a slowing revenue environment, rising operating costs, and increasing demand for County services. Despite these challenges, the now-approved spending plan continues to prioritize the services residents rely upon most while preserving the County’s long-term financial stability.“The residents of Riverside County rely on county services like 911 fire dispatch, animal services outreach, and senior meal delivery,” said Board Chair and Second District Supervisor Karen Spiegel. “This budget was developed following extensive meetings with County departments and an expanded outreach campaign to ensure that our funding decisions reflect community priorities.”The budget includes $3.1 billion for health services, $2.4 billion for public safety, $2 billion for human services and $1.1 billion for public works.“The county’s budget marks a transition from a period of extraordinary revenue growth to our current state that requires increased fiscal discipline,” said County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen. “The county’s costs continue to outpace discretionary revenue growth. As a result, we are using several strategies to preserve core services, avoid widespread layoffs, maintain prudent reserves, and reduce the structural deficit over time.”These strategies include a hiring freeze for all departments that receive discretionary revenue, maximum fill position rates for mission-critical services, as well as strategic use of reserves to support services in the sheriff’s department, district attorney’s office and assessor clerk-recorder’s office.Following department presentations and public comment, the Board of Supervisors considered and approved more than $27.4 million in additional funding. These targeted investments are designed to strengthen public safety, emergency response, affordable housing, senior nutrition and community well-being.Approved budget adjustments include:$5 million for Housing Workforce Solutions department for shovel-ready affordable housing developments, as well as an additional $1.5 million for non-profit Lift to Rise to advance affordable housing throughout Riverside County$1.4 million to the Office on Aging for home meal delivery and on-site meal services for seniors$900,000 to the Planning Department to support updates to ordinances related to subdivisions, inclusionary housing and noise, among other plans$250,000 to the Department of Animal Services for an advertising and media campaign$7.4 million to the Sheriff’s Department for security software programs and another $1.1 million to support coroner autopsy services$895,000 to the Riverside County Fire Department for the emergency command center dispatch to address increasing call volumes$670,000 to the District Attorney’s Office to support cyber-crime investigation services.An additional $2.5 million to invest in projects serving the unincorporated communities, bringing the total fund to $15 millionThe County will actively monitor staffing levels, state and federal actions, as well as economic conditions. These updates will be included in quarterly budget reports to the Board of Supervisors throughout the fiscal year.The Board of Supervisors will vote to formally adopt the budget during their June 23 meeting. Images 6-9-2026 Rec Budget - Approved - Web Graphic.jpg June 9, 2026